Keyboard Access Tips

To play You and Yours - Call You and Yours: How can we increase the numbers of organ donors? you need to enable JavaScript. How?

You and Yours - Call You and Yours: How can we increase the numbers of organ donors?

Every year, between 500 and 1,000 people die because of a shortage of organs in the UK. What should be done to resolve this? Should everyone be forced to become a donor?

Should everyone be forced to donate their organs?

Every year, between 500 and 1,000 people die because of a shortage of organs in the UK, according to the British Medical Association.

Today they're unveiling a set of proposals to try to tackle Britain's chronic organ shortage.

At the moment patients diagnosed as brain-dead are kept on an artificial ventilator only long enough for loved ones to say goodbye or for immediate emergency organ donation. Now the British Medical Association is recommending a practice known as 'elective ventilation' where patients are kept alive as long as is necessary to allow organ donation. It's a procedure used in Spain and the United States but was ruled unlawful by the Department of Health in 1994.

On today's Call You & Yours we want to hear what you think should be done to increase the number of organ donors. Should we continue with the way it is and hope that more people become organ donors. Or should we look at other options like the opt-out system with safeguards rather than opt-in system we already have.

If you want to have your say you can call us on 03700-100-444.

Or you can email via our web page; www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours and don't forget to leave a contact number where we can reach you. Or you can text us on 84844 and we might call you back.

  • Broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 12:04PM Tue, 14 Feb 2012
  • Available until 12:00AM Thu, 1 Jan 2099
  • First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12:00PM Tue, 14 Feb 2012
  • Categories
  • Duration 55 minutes

BBC © 2013 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.